BEYOND THE BASICS

Intarsia is a colorwork technique in which blocks of color are worked with separate balls of yarn or bobbins. The yarns are not carried across the back of the work between color changes and must be twisted around each other at each change to prevent holes in the work.

Intarsia knitting should not be worked circularly because at the end of the round, the yarns would be in the wrong position. You would have to cut all the yarn and reattach it, leaving you to weave in hundreds of ends.

When changing colors in a vertical line, the yarns must be twisted on every row. When changing colors in a diagonal line, the yarns must only be twisted on every other row. If the diagonal slants to the right, twist the yarns only on knit rows. If the diagonal slants to the left, twist the yarns only on purl rows.

changing colors in a vertical line

1. On the knit side, drop the old color. Pick up the new color from under the old color and knit to the next color change.

2. On the purl side, drop the old color. Pick up the new color from under the old color and purl to the next color change. Repeat steps 1 and 2.

changing colors in a diagonal line

1. When working a right diagonal on the knit side, bring the new color over the top of the old color and knit to the next color change.

2. On the purl side, pick up the new color from under the old color and purl to the next color change.

1. When working a left diagonal on the purl side, bring the new color over the top of the old color and purl to the next color change.

2. On the knit side, pick up the new color from under the old color and knit to the next color change.

joining a new color

1. Wrap first the old and then the new yarn knitwise and work the first stitch with both yarns.

2. Drop the old yarn. Work the next two stitches with both ends of the new yarn.

3. Drop the short end of the new color and continue working with the single strand. On the following rows, work the three double stitches as single stitches.